Star Trek Read Online Free PDF

mission, they hadn’t figured out what to do about that past involvement.
    Duffy was wincing and clutching his hand. “Oh, no, did I hurt you?” said Gomez.
    â€œNo, no,” Duffy protested through clenched teeth. “I was heading down here to get this fixed.”
    â€œI’m sure I didn’t help it any,” said Gomez. “Sorry, Kieran.” She hastened out.
    Lense smiled. “Let me take care of that for you.” The injury wasn’t serious, just a bad sprain. When she was done, Duffy flexed his hand and gave her a grateful look.
    â€œThanks, Doctor. See you, Emmett.”
    â€œSee you, Lieutenant Commander Duffy,” said Emmett with perfect correctness, if too much formality. Lense would have to work on that with him.
    Lense turned back to the task at hand. Her gaze traveled up and down the small, slight frame on the bed. Space had not done its usual fine job of preserving the body in this case. According to what the away team had reported, the ship had continued to maintain atmosphere, and the body had decayed normally. At the moment, it was safely encased by a forcefield; Starfleet SOP for the
da Vinci
in bringing any nonliving organic matter aboard.
    Lense glanced at the readings. Nothing dangerous detected. She could safely eliminate the forcefield, but she would keep the body in stasis. Otherwise, the smell would be unbearable, and she wanted to prevent the body fromdecaying any further. She touched a button, then stepped beside the body.
    A thought occurred to her. “Emmett,” she said, “have you ever performed an autopsy?”
    â€œI am perfectly capable of performing an autopsy.” He looked offended. “It’s a standard part of my programming.”
    She held up a placating hand. “Of course, you
know
how to do one, but have you ever actually done so? On an alien, about whom we know nothing?”
    He looked a little excited. “No, I haven’t.”
    â€œYou’ll find this fascinating,” she assured him. “I’ve been doing some comparative research on how this used to be performed in the old days, and how it’s done in other cultures. A few hundred years ago, they had no holographic technology. If you wanted to find out how someone had died, you had to literally cut them open.”
    The sensitive hologram stared, mouth slightly open. “That’s … barbaric,” he stammered.
    â€œWell, naturally, we think so, but that’s only because we have other methods to gain information,” she replied. “And there’s something about actually seeing inside a body, touching it, weighing the organs. It makes you respect death a little more, I think.”
    â€œI prefer to respect life,” Em replied primly.
    â€œOf course you respect life. Every doctor does. But on this mission, you and I are dealing mainly with the dead. You’ll need to cultivate respect for them, too.”
    Em’s face furrowed. “But, Doctor, surely dealing with a holographic representation shows more respect to the body than cutting it open.”
    â€œYes—after a fashion. But let’s begin. You’ll see what I mean eventually.”
    Despite everything that had happened, Lense couldn’t help laughing at the expression on Emmett’s dark face. “Don’t worry. We won’t be dissecting the body, I promise!”
    Em looked very relieved. Still chuckling, Lense gave instructions to the computer. “Computer, prepare to construct an accurate holographic replication of the body on the biobed. All weights and textures must be exact.”
    The biobed closed over the body and a lavender beam washed through the form.
    â€œPrepared and awaiting data,” replied the computer in its cool female voice.
    â€œProject the alien’s skeletal structure,” Lense ordered. “Keep it in the same position as it would normally be if held in place by